This is a call to the people of Singapore and Malaysia to stand up for Yong Vui Kong, a teenager and drug mule who was caught in Singapore and sentenced to death for trafficking 47g of heroin in 2007. He is currently on death row in Changi prison.

Yong Vui Kong, born to a family of 6, went through a turbulent childhood when his parents divorced while he was very young. As a result his mother had to raise the kids singlehandedly.

Being a dishwasher she brought home RM$200 a month, and the family had to scrap by at the most basic sustenance level.

Eventually this paved the way for Vui Kong's departure from their hometown of Sabah, East Malaysia to the big city of Kuala Lumpur.

Vui Kong with brothers during happier days

In 2002, Vui Kong the country boy left Sabah for KL, bringing nothing but him and the desire to make it big.

A young and rebellious Vui Kong

He was described by his family as "rebellious", often mixing with bad company and getting into trouble. Yet, Vui Kong would be the apple in his mother's eyes. He treated his siblings well, especially Vui Fung who would often relate how much Vui Kong doted on her, even though he would sometimes throw his temper at home when things were not going well for him.

Vui Fung (Fung Fung) with Vui Kong

But all these was not meant to last.

Vui Kong worked as a kitchen hand in KL, but was later introduced to a gang, whose boss showered him with 5 star hotel stays and treated him to meals he could never be able to afford.

Vui Kong mixed with the wrong company, which eventually sealed his fate

Eventually Vui Kong went from debt collecting to "delivering gifts". These gifts turned out to be drugs. At that young and impressionable age, Vui Kong had no idea that the penalty for trafficking of drug was mandatory death.

The "gifts" that Vui Kong delivered to Singapore

At 18, Yong Vui Kong was conscripted for National Service. He would later return to KL back to the same boss who provided him with work and lead him on to be a drug runner.

Vui Kong would later shuttle back and forth Singapore and Malaysia several times until he was caught in June 2007 with possession of 47g of heroin. Yong was 18 and a half years old at the time of arrest. Singapore drug laws stipulate mandatory death for 18 years and above. Vui Kong faced certain death the moment he was caught by narcotics officers.

Justice Choo Han Teck found Vui Kong too young to be dealt with the mandatory death sentence

Before passing the judgement, trial judge Justice Choo Han Teck summoned both the defence and presecution into chamber and asked the prosecution if they would consider reducing the charge given the relatively young age of the drug offender, who was not even 19 at the age of the offence. The prosecution declined and the death sentence was handed to Vui Kong.

Yong's then defence counsel, following the common practice for almost all capital cases for drug trafficking, was preparing to take the case to the Court of Appeal.

Kelvin Lim, under specific instruction from his client, withdrew the Appeal.

Changi Prison customary photo taking session before execution

At this point in time, Vui Kong's sister, Fung Fung, had already bought a shirt and pants for her brother. It is customary for prisoners on death row to don on their best in a bizzare and morbid prison practice - photos of the prisoner in various poses will be shot and the pictures will be sent to the convict's family after the execution.

"I don't want to lie to save myself."

Vui Kong instructed his lawyer to withdraw the appeal

Why did Vui Kong withdraw the appeal?

Apparently, he was under the impression that a High Court Appeal could only work if there are new evidence to prove that he was innocent of the charge, and he thought that the only way out was to lie to be able to save himself.

After taking up Buddhism as his religion while in prison, Vui Kong did not want to lie which was a sin according to Buddhist beliefs, he therefore instructed his counsel to withdraw the Appeal.

Vui Kong did not know that he involuntarily extended his stay in this world by withdrawing his own High Court Appeal, the only legal lifeline available to him.

Because of this withdrawal, the high Court hastened the execution process and ordered Yong to be executed on 4th December 2009.

M. Ravi intervenes

M. Ravi holding a picture of a Buddha like figure drawn by Yong while in prison

Singapore human rights lawyer Madasamy Ravi got wind of Yong's case. He promptly took over the case from Yong's counsel Kelvin Lim after a court hearing.

Ravi submitted a clemency appeal to the Singapore President, but on 20th November, it was rejected by the Istana.

Yong was granted a rare last minute stay of execution

Two days before Yong's scheduled execution, Ravi made an application for a stay of execution for Vui Kong pending a High Court hearing for an appeal. The Court of Appeal had previously not heard Vui Kong's case as his defence lawyer had withdrawn it.

Vui Kong broke down in court when he heard his execution on Friday was stayed

The judge decided that he was not in the position to make the decision for the Court of Appeal, granted the stay of execution for Vui Kong. Vui Kong, who was present in court, broke down and cried when he heard the news.

Vui Kong Finally meet his mother after two years of incarceration

A day after the court's decision, Yong met his mother, who came to Singapore accompanied by his siblings. Upon seeing his mother, Yong knelt and bowed to her three times in a show of respect.

Vui Kong's mother still does not know that her son had been sentenced to death.

For fear that she may commit suicide due to suffering from chronic depression, Vui Kong's family had kept his fate away from her. The only idea she has of why her son is in jail is that "he had committed a very serious matter and that he will be gone for a very long time in order to atone for his sins and will not return unless he has attained self fulfillment".

On 8th December, Vui Kong received a 2nd stay of execution, this time from the Court of Appeal. The stay of execution was in effect until the Appeal was presented and debated in court. The court gave the defence much needed time to prepare the case, and activists more time to campaign for it.

Yong outlived his original death sentence for a full 4 months. This was something he never saw coming on the eve of his execution.

Ravi, in the months after the court's decision to grant the stay of execution, set off to do his research, pro bono. He engaged the help of Queen's counsels in London, dug up the various developments in other Commonwealth countries on the mandatory death penalty and at the end compiled an appeal submission 5 volumes thick.

London team of lawyers who provided valuable research and help: Parvais Jabbar, Edward Fitzgerald QC, M. Ravi and Saul Lehrfreund

On 15th March the high Court convened for Vui Kong's appeal. After both sides presented their cases and arguments, the judges praised M. Ravi for the effort he had put into his submission and thanked him for providing the court with an update on current international practices with regards to the death penalty. They decided to reserve judgement on the hearing until further notice. (credits to TOC)

"The court acknowledge that the mandatory death sentence is considered a cruel, degrading and inhuman punishment," - Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong

On 14th May, the Court of Appeal duly rejected the appeal. But it acknowledged that the mandatory death sentence is considered a cruel, degrading and inhuman punishment.

In June, Vui Kong's counsel M. Ravi made a trip down to KL in an attempt to rally the Malaysians together over the case.

There was a buzz initially when the Malaysian online media carried Vui Kong's story, but it fizzled out after a week or two.

Umi Azlim, the Malaysian girl sentenced to death for drug trafficking

In 2007, Umi Azlim was sentenced to death in China. Curiously, she had a sentence commuted to life imprisonment after the Malaysian government appeal to the Chinese government citing compassionate grounds.

Vui Kong received no such attention from the Malaysian government.

No Political Mileage

"Probably because he presents no political mileage. He is first of all a (Malaysian) Chinese, and a Sabahan."

But the Malaysian media had their ways. many online media outlets, especially MalaysiaKini, ran a media blitz over Vui Kong's case and nudge the Malaysian government to do something to help the boy who was facing the gallows overseas.

But all was not lost. On 3rd July it was announced that PKR's MP Tian Chua would table a debate on Vui Kong's case in Parliament the following Monday. It was rejected by the Speaker of Parliament, but a press conference was held and Malaysia's Foreign Minister was present.

He told Ravi and the Malaysian press, “All things aside, if I save one life it will give me great satisfaction. After all, I am a Sabahan too”, referring to the Malaysian state where Yong comes from. (Credit: TOC)

After his statement, almost all media outlets in Malaysia carried the news.

Malaysian activists promptly got to work to set up a site, 2ndChance4Yong, to campaign for Vui Kong.

For the first time, Yong did not just have to rely on Singapore, he had the support of the people from his country as well.

Give Life 2nd Chance

The campaign for Vui Kong, Give Life 2nd Chance, was launched and the petition gathered over 3000 signatures in a few days. The campaign also rallied Malaysian Parliamentarians together to show support for a President clemency to spare Yong's life based on compassionate ground.

Ngeow Chow Ying, Syed Husin and Tunku Abdul Aziz

Malaysians brought it a step further. On 21 July, Malaysian lawyer and campaign coordinator Ngeow Chow Ying, together with Dewan Negara senators, came together for a press conference to plea for clemency for Vui Kong and rally Malaysians' support.

She said, "We understand Singapore, like Malaysia, has a strict policy against drug trafficking which carries a mandatory death penalty. However, given that the constitution allows clemency plea for persons sentenced to death means that no sentence of capital punishment is by default excluded from reconsideration for a second chance."

Soon after, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman wrote to Singapore President S.R. Nathan, requesting clemency on compassionate grounds. The President did not reply to the letter.

Give Vui Kong a Second Chance

Increasingly, Singaporeans were getting aware that judicial hangings for drug trafficking were done in the name of the people. On Aug 2, more than 150 people turned up at Speakers’ Corner to support the petition for clemency for Yong Vui Kong.

The family had to walk to the back of the Istana to submit the clemency petition

The Save Vui Kong campaign saw more than 109 346 signatures collected over the span of more than a month. These signatures together with a formal clemency petition, were submitted to the President at the Istana on 24 Aug 2010.

The family, together with Sabah Member of Parliament Datuk Chua Soon Bui, faced curt security officers who merely took the piles of signatures and repeatedly told them to leave. Deflated, disappointed and anxious, the family walked back in tears.

Protest outside S'pore High Commission

Yong’s original deadline for filing his Petition for Clemency to the President was 26 August. It was feared that he would be hanged soon after that deadline. In the face of imminent execution of Vui Kong, Malaysian lawyers and parliamentarians rallied together and protested outside the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur on 26 August.

Another stay of execution for Vui Kong, left

The Singapore Prisons Department in a letter dated 25 Aug 2010 replied Yong's lawyer M. Ravi that he would be granted an extension to file his clemency appeal to the President. The confirmation of extension comes as a relief to Mr Ravi who had repeatedly asked the SPS for the confirmation since 18 August.

What was Vui Kong doing all these while?

Vui Kong, remorseful but hopeful to live and contribute to society

Meanwhile, Vui Kong had been brushing up on his English. In his possession is a Chinese-English dictionary and some Buddhist texts. He tries his best to learn English, a new language to him, for the purpose of communicating with his lawyer.

Periodically he pen letters to his family and friends, sharing religious teachings, gratitude and encouragement. He wakes up early every morning to meditate.

When the court granted him a stay of execution last December, one of the first people to pay Vui Kong a visit was his lawyer, M. Ravi. During the meeting, Vui Kong presented him a gift – a picture that had taken him weeks to complete. He would kneel for hours as he drew. The picture is a colourful interpretation of one of the manifestations of Lord Buddha, standing at the gates of hell, saving souls from eternal damnation.

“He is remorseful and feels he should be severely punished,” his brother Yun Leong explained, “but he wants to live so he can continue seeing us, seeing our mother again. He wants to keep learning and meditating and being a better person.”

Writing a letter from prison to thank the over 100,000 individuals who signed the clemency petition, Vui Kong also mentioned that his greatest wish would be to join the anti-drug campaign and guide other young people on the edge to return to the right path.

"If the presidential clemency is granted, what I would like to do the most is to tell the world about the dangers of drugs and how sinful drugs are." Yong said.

why should the singapore government and people support him in jail? if he was sentenced to life or whatever, tax money would be used on him. seems silly to do that when he was bent on destroying the very lives of singaporeans. The crime rate in singapore is what it is now due to these strict punishments. Do not set a precedent!

I am not here to defend Vui Keong's innocence. His actions and the people he chose to mix with are obviously of the wrong kind. Having said that, I feel that those who bought drugs from him are equally guilty, if only to a lesser extent. Drug takers too, don't deserve shit.

I am not what you would call a nice person, but I'll say this - Saving, or in this case, sparing a life is the most noble act any human can do to another human. If another human is in danger to losing his or her life, and if I am in any position to stop it, I will, even to the extent of endangering my own life.

Incarcerate him by all means as a warning to all those would-be Vui Keongs out there. Vui Keong's natural life should expire on its own. Not taken by anyone.

i think this guy should be duly punished. being ignorant and poor doesn't give one a reason to commit a crime. Please think of the dire consequences if the heroin was successfully brought into Singapore. How many other lives will be lost. Heroin is a bad drug. I am sure the guy knows what he was doing when he decided to help his boss bring in those 'gifts'. If his family had really cared for him, they would not have waited till today to do something. Being uneducated and poor is no excuse. He should be punished. Singaporeans please do not be foolish and help him with his petition. He is bringing in harmful drugs into our country...

Ng Said...To all of you here, think twice before you all wana point at someone... If given a chance, will you think he will want to do this?? Think.. if he is born in a better in wealth family, will he want to commit this crime to earn more money?? He is in born in poor family.. Not like us singaporean here, we are very fortunate now... Not everyone is born to be so xin fu de... Pls have some pity for him, or rather his mother... Think again.. If this person is your family member, will you have the courage to kneel and beg infront of istana orchard?? I bet very least people will do that, cos we all wanted our pride so much here.... But i envy his family who really stand up for him and can really let their pride down.... Pls don't post such hurting comments again... many thanks

I do firmly believe everyone deserves a second chance but depending on the degree of the issue he has caused and whether it has been harmful to society or whatsoever.Based on his story, i mean he was young, he was pushed by his boss and his peers and made to commit such a crime.Singapore law is definitely very strict to prevent such crimes being committed but my 2 cents worth, this guy does deserve a second chance.Point to note: Singapore has already executed like tons of drug traffickers already, but why does he have to be different? Its obviously his story and his mind to repent.

if yong pui kong appeal succeed, singapore is no different from malaysia, we are not relating this issue to 'everyboday deserved a 2nd chance' ! this kind of situation should be executed years back, why is it dragging for so long till now. those who have been executed in the past year for drug offence. if were to let him off, it will do injustice to the previous offenders as they themselves serve the death sentence. those who support him is an idiot.

Spare one life to save other, one drug smuggler death is a victory for the people of Singapore. I was only 11(and I'm from Malaysia btw) when I know that smuggling drugs can get me hanged. This "child" have an education up to 14-15 years old, so any person who is not born brain defect, should have an idea about the consequence of smuggling drugs. Beside,by not telling who ask him to distribute the drugs in the first place, clearly shows that this guy really know who is he dealing with. Hey...its not like he was caught in Singapore Airport because his bag contains drugs without his knowledge, this dude is really doing business here on the street, that is destroying people life. But IMHO death penalty=life imprisonment. Just my thought about it.

Lindi says...Life is so precious...we are all the same made up of bones & blood, have parents, children, etc. ~ WHY can't we open up our mind, have compassion for Yong even tho' he may not be related to us??

Definitely taking a person's life is not right. Making him suffer in prison is terrible! Pls. don't under estimate retribution..!

Even tho' matured people make mistakes especially in desperate state, not to say this young person under 21 when caught.

S'pore by having such inhumane law defying pleas for mercy will cause hurt to their own citizens in return coz' other countries will not spare a thot if any S'poreans are convicted the same.

I find it odd. Malaysia has the same mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking as Singapore. Are we saying that a Malaysian who traffics into Singapore should be let off but not if he traffics into Malaysia? Or if a Singaporean traffics into Malaysia?

He is a Malaysian where drug trafficking carries with it capital punishment not some liberal country that condones the use of drugs. Singapore has a long and well publicised stance on drug trafficking (The law was in place long before VK was born). Singapore has been ridiculed for this and its hard stance for various other crimes. It is known as a brutal police state, not some liberal relaxed country. It is Singapore, one of Malaysia's most proximate neighbour with lots of Malaysians working within its borders and carrying news of Singapore back to Malaysia. For the above reasons, I find it improbable that VK would not be aware of the severity of the offence.

Only primitive societies allow human sacrifice to proliferate in order to please it's citizens. Why should one young man be the scapegoat, when it is evident that the society and it's drug users are also at fault, but they can walk free.

I am shocked by the comment of some people here...they approve of the death penalty claiming to defend life if they have no humanity and mercy left. Whether he was aware of the sentence or not...the question should be whether someone trafficking drugs really deserves to be executed. Are they really so bad and worthless that they don't deserve a second chance? Does not every human being hope to get a second chance, with so many things in life? Why make traffickers responsible for all the drug related suffering? Where is the responsibility of each person. Should we execute cigarette vendors and producers? Should we get rid of Alcohol producers and people selling unhealthy food as well. Please use common sense! If we take drugs it is our responsibility, even if nobody wishes to become an addict. But we are human after all. If our society sees execution as the only solution to fight drugs then we are a very poor society in any sense!

how do you measure the worth of a life? do we base it on the potential good that its further existence can create or the potential bad. Do those that support the taking of life not view life as something sacred, as in most religions, human birth is attributed to work of the divine or extremely rare. Have be become so used to the shades of materialism we put on to pursue life's comforts that we forget to take them off when evaluating something of invaluable potential that even made all the comforts we enjoy even possible?

In our society, is it so hard to imagine that this person could easily be the one you love, a child, a brother, or a sister? Are we so full of ourselves to think that we can protect them from falling astray and ending up in these inescapable situations? With all of life's challenges, nobody can be there all the time to prevent harm to their loved ones. Do we really believe that mandatory death penalty for drug couriers reduce the rest of the crimes? that it prevents fewer murders, robberies, rape and gang fights? its a complex web that crime appears in but its not that one crime leads to another. the MDP is more like pest control, killing every pest that invades your home, but should we treat another human life like that of a pest? To do as we please for our own benefit? Don't murderers, leaders of crime rings commit crimes on individuals because they could care less of what terror/misery they cause to you and your loved ones? This demeaning of human life will have larger and longer term implications to the society that we want to protect than the materialistic mind can imagine. Unless we find a new approach that reconciles valuing of any human life with how we deal with criminal offences more wisely to benefit to society in the long term, we run the risk of planting the very seeds of danger that we want to be free from.

Sentence to death is of course fair to all the previous death sentence onvict. But in my opinion this guy deserve pity from us. He is from broken family, single mother, uneducated & many bad life experiances. Also this guy have repent & willing to become a role model against drug trafficking. He definitely can contribute to the society if he still alive.Come on brother & sister, give this guy a second chance!

Death penalty is going to be abolished any way in the near future so why not start now. its not a strong stand. i say child drug traffickers should not die. Why not hang the boss. because the boss not in changi air port. very superficial. the scenario must be elaborate. 1st time also. Hmm if people that rap and then murder that i will cut them myself slowly. Or people that criple children and ask them to beg. Law is technology, guides, philosophy must always comes first before tech.

If i could personally slap the shit out of the people who says he doesn't deserve a second chance, i will. Honestly, you assholes are nothing more than a typical singaporean and the reason why i wanna get out of this country ASAP.

If your family member went through the same shit, do you think you will be saying all those nonsensical things? Put yourself in their shoe before you shoot aight.

This aint only about vui kong but all those that were caught for drug trafficking.Personally, i think that every case should be death with individually. Vui kong is an example of someone that has really changed & repent after spending 4 years in jail as of now.

He is the message sent that PEOPLE change and these kinda people deserve a second chance. What for promote the yellow ribbon campaign when you don't even give second chances.

Its ridiculous how our higher authorities could say that "if we spare his life, others will learn..." jesus christ, this is what our teachers say when they punish us but honestly, do you think anybody care?

If i wanna have sex with a minor, i will find all means and ways to do it. If i get caught, its MY choice and i KNOW the law here in singapore therefore i DESERVE it.

This dude is illiterate & have no idea what law is he dealing with, or wtf is he even doing. He was 18 when he was caught god damn it.

Its not like he is destroying other people's life or that he murdered someone, or rape some gal. As i mentioned, if i want to buy drug I WILL BUY IT therefore ITS MY CHOICE aka i fuck up my own life by buying drugs from you.

Really disappointed being a singaporean, knowing that our higher authorities are such...

And I feel like slapping the shit out of naive people. But I hope he obtains clemency for the simple fact that his death will not solve drug trafficking problems, or deter syndicates from sending drug mules. If taxpayers are not willing to support him in jail, devise some other punishment. Also revise the MDP.

As an insider, I can tell you that Vui Kong is fully aware of the consequences. He was neither dumb nor stupid. He was blinded by the "wealth", the ill-gotten gains derived from his illicit trade. FYI, this was not his first time. He has been used as a "drug mule" on numerous other occasions. Yes, the DEATH PENALTY is wrong. But we best get the records, straight.

I feel sorry for Vui Kong because I'm also Malaysian and he's very young but everyone knows that Singapore has the death penalty and almost always enforces it.

This talk of him being illiterate matters little because once you're found to be carrying drugs, you're liable. As I mentioned in my post on my blog about the 14 year old Australian druggie in Indonesia, Singapore did hang an Australian (Tuong Van) few years ago despite the appeals of various parties including the Liberal government.

I don't know whether our government will appeal but I won't be surprised if they don't or if Singapore rejects our appeal if our government does appeal because Singapore is firm about this.

This part of the world is known as the 'Golden Triangle' because drug trafficking is huge here so the laws are strict and ignorance is no excuse.

There is an online campaign to get as many people as possible to sign some petition so he can avoid the gallows but I think it won't work because few years ago Tuong Van tried the same thing but failed.

Be honest, if the boy were one of the grandsons of Lee K.Yew, do you think the court would still send him to be hanged? The law is only out to get the ordinary people but not to the rulers of the country.

I do not support the hanging of drug mules, but I do support the hanging of the drug lords. They exploit and deceive naive, poor people to take all the risks for them while they escape scot free when the mules were caught.

I don't know why but if I were Yong, since I'm going to die anyway, I would definitely reveal the names of all the people involved in the crime including the ring leader so that they can all be hanged as well.

Hanging drug traffickers is like western orthodox medical treatments where it's only attacking the symptoms but not uprooting the problem.

Malaysia and Singapore hang traffickers is only attacking the symptoms hoping it would cure the disease. I guarantee you, it wouldn't. These 2 governments should go all out to nab the drug lords and hang them and educate the public about the dangers of drugs.

Sentencing a mule to 20, 30 years in prison is a good enough deterrent in my opinion. But to hang him is like burning the house down to get rid of the rats.

I'm a Singaporean, and I feel that Vui Kong does not deserved to be hanged at such young age. There's so much life out there for him to see and learn. Just because he's a drug mule, doesn't been it's a condemn thing in life that needs to be put to death!

To watch a RA rated movie, u need to be an ADULT >> 21 and above. But to put someone in the death gallows, 18 yr old is OK?! I cannot believe this Singapore law "sentence to death" is even applicable to a kid! This is 'laughable' n absurd!

Vui Kong should be given another chance to be in school(at least in prison school), and not the underworld. He had repent his ways and even the prison wardens look up to Vui Kong. He had changed so many people's lives.. This boy had so much to learn in the outside world..

I have 100% respect for his attorney, Mr Ravi. He is such a great guy, trying all means and ways to help Vui Kong. But sadly, he couldn't save Vui Kong from the gallows. But nonetheless, he truly is an inspiring man.

It is just so sad to see a young guy without formal education get into this kind of problem. It's not like he will be brought back to society and caused more harm to it. By all means, sentence him to life in prison. but do not take him away from his family and loved ones. Look at his sister and brother. They could have choose to walk away but yet they stand by him. They deserve it!!!!

There is no excuse whatsoever for drug smuggling. Illiteracy, family background, these are terrible reasons and should not be taken into account.

And the nerve of Vui Kong's lawyer to play the human rights card and go to the press seeking to elicit some sympathy. That is a dirty tactic which undermines the structure of our justice ssytem.

Malaysia too should not have intervened.

And so what if Vui Kong was born into a rich family? How do we know that he won't smuggle drugs for the thrill of it? I say we ought to hang him and hang him now. People who think it's noble to spare someone the death penalty conveniently forget that this is how we have managed to clear the streets of crime.

For goodness sake, if you don't like the death penalty then go live in the West, I'm sure they would love to have you.

That being siad, I believe that hanging is too lenient. A firing squad would be better, especially if it were in public.

Too add on to what I have said, I believe that waving away the usage of drugs as a personal responsibility is a weak excuse. When you use drugs, who has to clean up for you? Your family members and the community. So those people who claim that drug-taking is a personal thing, think twice before you come up with something as indignant as that. Drugs kill and that is the harsh reality.

If my relatives were guilty of that, then I will not discriminate and have no qualms about them being punished. The laws are universal and apply to all. You break it, you have to face the consequences.

GEEZ. TRICKED into drug trafficking? Come on, he was 19, NOT 9. And since msia and sg has the same penalty for drug trafficking, shouldn't he, as a malaysian, already somehow know that drug trafficking is a serious matter, whether he's illiterate or not? And by the way, illiterate doesn't mean he's dumb. So that should not even constitute as an excuse.

Also, not knowing our law means it's reason enough for you to break it and get away with it? Give me a break.

Stop playing the sympathy cards and...

JUST HANG. 'Nuff said. There shouldn't be any double standards of any sorts.

what would u do if u were him? will u still hoping that he will be sentenced to death if he is your brother? your boyfriend? your son? i dont believe there is someone who didnt do anything wrong in their whole life. ask yourself, when u made a mess or even a very small sin, would u like to be punish? honestly?

just execute him lah. that idiot brought drugs into singapore, without the knowledge of the death penalty? complete rubbish. u mean he cant read the signs at the singapore checkpoint? which also exists in the form of chinese texts.

Every time someone comes into Singapore there are clear announcements that drug trafficking carries mandatory death penalty.It was not his first time, but on his already numerous runs that he was caught.He took the chance of glitz and glamour lifestyle to traffick those drugs. He knew what he was up against and he took his chance with his life at stake.Is he any different from any traffickers?No, they all hanged for their chances they took.And Mandatory is clearly reinforced at all times, it should be no exception for him.

reading some of the comments here is really shocking, I wonder if humans or robots are the ones writing them. This is my 2 cents. When it comes to such a heavy sentence such as death penalty, the proportion of the crime should always be equal to its punishment, WITH all accounts taken into regard. Death penalty that applies to everyone equally regardless of circumstance is a bit like blindly swinging around an axe. Something is seriously screwed up when being a rapist allows you to walk scot free after imprisonment while being a drug mule equals to hanging to death. Also, how is this law supposedly justice when the drug mule pays a heavier price than the mastermind of the drug deal himself? ( In fact, Mr Chia pays no price at all. ) This is like cutting off the leaves to fell a tree!

Of course he must be legally responsible for his actions, but to be given death sentence? No. I believe that allowing Vui Kong to live will be a greater story and message to tell. Vui Kong can do so much more with his life, cutting it short HERE and NOW is an abomination to justice in itself. I believe that Vui Kong can be a vital key in teaching other youths the dangers of drug abuse, and he can be inspiring to all those wayward youths out there about what it's like to get your record straight, and live the righteous way.

His shy and quiet sister stayed up one whole night writing a petition to save her brother. Though it was painful and hard for her, she walked up to so many random strangers to collect more signatures. His brother and family is willing to kneel down by the roadside to ask for Vui Kong's clemency. And now, more than 109000 people feel the same. If even the hardened prison warden can say that he is the gentlest soul anyone can have the blessing to meet, then I believe that the law is murdering the wrong man here. This is a young man who is willing to reject his own appeal BECAUSE he doesn't want to lie to save himself. This shows that he is ready to atone for his mistakes and take responsibility, but asking him to pay with his life is too much.

His family knows him best, and even through his worst and most rebellious moments, he is at core, a good brother, a good person.

It was unfortunate that although his intentions for making money was pure, but his methods were not.

I agree that the law should be equal and that there must not be double standards. However, on rare occasions, there are exceptions. Isn't that why there is a "clemency" process? So, sparing his life is NOT BENDING the law - since "clemency" is part of the legal process.

Ask yourself the following.1. Is VK a hardened career criminal or simply a misguided kid? 2. Is VK beyond redemption that executing him is the only way to protect society?

At the end the day, do you think death is the appropriate punishment for a misguided kid? On VK's repentance, surely a Parole Board can assess him. If he has truly repented and reformed (which is part of the objective of imprisonment anyway), the kid should definitely be given a 2nd chance. Him being life will bring more good than him being dead.

Look at the west. Would we want our society to degenerate to the situation where crime is rife on the streets? where gang turf wars are fought and mules freely peddle drugs to our kids? Hang him now I say and let this serve as a message to all whom smuggle drugs here.

What are these ppl thinking around here ? Hanging one Vui Kong doesn't stop another Vui Kong in the future... Get to the point! Jump out of the box pleassssse.... The objective is to totally stop this kinda thing to keep on happening.... The root cause is the big boss! Spare Vui Kong's life & get his help to nab the big fish! Clear it totally, that's what we call a good plan... Killing a young "innocent or not" guy doesn't resolve anything... He's just a frontline, get the king!

"The law is for the lawless." Being humane to first time offenders should be considered,his background and if there is room for rehabilitation should come into the process. Are there any intervention programs for first time offenders? Is he a hardened criminal or just a young man confused and didn't know where to turn? As stated above, "Get the Source and you can Eliminate the Latter"

Vui Kong's case is probably too late to be debated. However, what I don't like is the Mandatory Death Penalty. I mean, mandatory? Then what is the law and order for then? The people who catch these guys might as well lynch him there and then.

When you have the death penalty which is mandatory, it removes the discretion of the judge. You can't have one law to cover all scenarios. Each case is different. That is where the judge comes in, to listen to both sides, to consider all circumstances, and then to pass down a just judgement.

With the mandatory death sentence, the judge's hands are tied. You may as well just get a 12 year old boy to preside and, after listening (sleeping) through the court proceedings, just say "Death sentence".

This young man made a conscious decision to have drugs in his possession, in a country in which he knew if he got caught, he would likely be hanged. This country has my admiration and respect for hanging these druggies, and I am pleased that the courts denied that young man clemency and hanged him. I only wish I could have been the man lucky enough to go into that young man's cell, take him out, tie him up, string the rope around his neck, pull the lever, and watch him die. His drug days are over.

WTF is wrong with you people!? We are not a third world country where this kind of punishment is accepted. Seriously, this is the reason why i wanna GTFO of singapore. First world country but third world mindset. He was not old enough to vote nor watch an R rated movie but apparently is perfectly ready to be executed cold bloodedly in a foreign land.

The death sentance should only be used for cold blooded murderers and NOT for drug traffickers. If someone wants to get drugs, he WILL. enforcing the death sentance WILL NOT stop the drug trade but only serves to push the price of drugs up. Drug addicts WILL PAY any amount for drugs so this method is not effective by far.

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It is very sad that some of you people think he should be hanged and some even said the quicker the better. A drug user is equally as quilty too. Will an overdosed drug user taken to a hospital for treatment and later get charge with a death sentence becuase he uses drug? No, he wouldnt but he is as quilty too and just because he is not carrying but he is a user.Voi Kong should be punished but not with a death sentence. Please don't say these people are ruin Singaporeans life. Everyone have a choice....I will give Vui Kong a second chance! Killing a drug mule will not stop drug tracfiking or drug user. Without a user there won't be drug tracfiking!

For a death sentence, if they are going to pardon him, I believe they will make him serve a few tens of years to send a strong signal to others not to let themselves be made use by others to harm people. Chinese have a saying "Hai Ren Zhi Xing Bu Ke You, Fang Ren Zhi Xing Bu Ke Wu". Not worth it to earn that little money and lose a few tens of years of your life. Letting one go off unpunished would mean many hundreds to thousands of people suffering.

There are many people who get away with a lot of things by finding scapegoats and making use of people and harass for a living like Hei She Hui Lao Da. These people use black magic, biological weapons and push for employment of people to harass. If we let people like Vui Kong go unpunished, then more people will think it is worth it to trouble-make as the payout is good and the punishment is not severe. There severe punishment is recommended only because it brings harm to a lot of people and allow irresponsible trouble-makers and people who like to make use of people to go unpunished and gain lots of benefits.

Oh dear, some Singaporeans are so stupid. Yes that's you, Mr/Ms never-did-anything-wrong-in-my-life Singaporean. Is it so difficult being perfect? Quite challenging meh? Brainwashed from day one and you believe it? Death penalty stops crime huh? Then how come you have so many crowded prisons? Have you ever been up around Changi prison area: women's prison, men's prison, drug rehab prison etc etc., so many damn prisons for such a tiny country. Yes, it's really working isn't it?

Try to wrap your head around this:

"Judicial execution can never cancel or remove the atrocity it seeks to punish; it can only add a second atrocity to the original one … So long as one sees killing as wrong there is no need to waste time with the deterrent argument, since it would be nonsense to try to prevent a theoretical evil in the future by perpetrating an actual one in the present" (A. Waugh)

Well we all make mistakes to be hanged for drug trafficking is barbaric we only have to look at the sad case of Van Nguyen another young boy they have both made silly tragic mistakes they were young and foolish Van was hanged and what good did that do no good at all Let this boy live

Kaelin Shu: I would say give him a 2nd chance since the crime was committed when he was just only 18 and half years old. He couldn't understand what he was carrying during that moment as he was con by his boss. After reading of what he has read & preach in cell, he has repent from what not knowing to value everything single thing in life. I would not have written or posted my comments here if he 21 yrs old. Give life a 2nd chance since he doesn't even know life & death at that particular moments when he was lure into drug mule.

Kaelin Shu: I would say give him a 2nd chance since the crime was committed when he was just only 18 and half years old. He couldn't understand what he was carrying during that moment as he was con by his boss. After reading of what he has read & preach in cell, he has repent from what not knowing to value every single thing in life. I would not have written or posted my comments here if he 21 yrs old. Give life a 2nd chance since he doesn't even know life & death at that particular young moments when he was lure into drug mule.

To the PIG Brain that says that Singapore have so many damn prisons......

You my friend are the one that’s brainless. Go fucking look at your country and tell me if our law here is working. End of story.

Dare to walk home alone at 3am? Will I get shot at for no fucking reason? Will I lose my car in a blink of an eye? Will I get dragged along the fucking road just because some idiots decided to snatch my purse?

Hang him. His excuse is no difference from other drug traffickers. What makes him. Different is. Politicians want more. Spotlight. Think of families broken due to drugs addict. A mule like him only contributes to this. I sympathise his plight but he committed a serious crime and he need to pay.

Vui kong , you must be very strong and never give up in life. Others people can give up on you but you cannot give up on yourself.Your family need you no matter what you do or who you are. Life is just a part and parcel. Everybody will do mistake and not just only you. As long as you know how to change and what to do. Nobody is perfect. Support you :)

Those people that wanted him to sentence death. You guys are freaking cold blooded! I wish that god will punish you for what you truly meant.You guys have no right to take others people life. You are just a nobody. Who the hell you think you guys are?! Stop judging what people should do or should'nt do. Get a life!

First, work on ur English.. Then think about what kind of a person u are.. to wish a man dead (in such cruel manner), a man that that never even wished u or any other person harm. U ought be ashamed of yourself Kang. To think that mere possession of drugs is more severe a punishment than murder or rape is madness, but u r much beyond that. U have a sick mind Kang, much worse than the man U wish dead!